Finger mounted rock climbing implement

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a finger worn implement with a brush, or other cleaning implement, that allows rock climbers to easily clean accumulated chalk from the areas around rock climbing holds. The implement included a cot with attached upper and lower bands that are secured to the finger of a user. A wire brush or nylon bristles are secured to the cot and can be used to sweep out accumulations of chalk.

RELATED APPLICATION DATA

This application claims priority to co-pending provisional applicationSer. No. 60/802,199 filed May 19, 2006 and entitled Finger Mounted RockClimbing Implement. The contents of this co-pending application arefully incorporated herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a rock climbing implement.

More particularly, the present invention relates to a finger mountedimplement that allows a wearer to clean chalk or debris from fissures orcracks during a climb.

2. Description of the Background Art

Rock climbing is an increasingly popular sport. The sport is so popular,in fact, that indoor climbing facilities can now be found in most urbanareas. The sport requires participants to ascend a rock face usingminimal equipment in what is often referred to as a free climb. Underthe Yosemite Decimal System, these types of climbs are classified asClass Five Climbs. Although participants can use ropes, carbineers, andbelaying devices for safety, the climbing itself is accomplished solelywith the climber's hands and feet. Namely, the climber ascends the rockface by grasping rock fissures or outcroppings, known in the sport as“features.” The difficulty of Class Five Climbs, in turn, can be furtherclassified on the basis of difficulty. This further classification isprimarily a function of the number of features in the rock face, thespacing between the features, and how difficult they are to grip.

A climber's grip upon rock features can be greatly improved with the useof chalk. Chalk improves grip by both eliminating moisture and sweatfrom the hands and by promoting friction between the skin and rock. Forthis reason, climbers routinely carry a chalk bag, which can be securedto a waist belt. Periodically throughout the climb, a climber will applychalk by placing their hands in the chalk bag.

However, one problem with chalk stems from the fact that climbers tendto follow established routes in order to ensure that sufficient featuresare present to ascend. Because these routes are repeatedly traversed,the chalk used by the climbers tends to build up within rock fissuresand around outcroppings. This build up obscures the fissures andotherwise prevents subsequent climbers from getting a proper grip uponthe rock face.

Consequently, climbers frequently carry a brush to sweep away chalkbuild up. Climbers store these brushes within their chalk bags. Thebrushes can also be directly mounted to a belt through the use of acarbineer. Regardless of how the brush is stored, using it during aclimb can be extremely difficult. Using the brush requires the climberto remove a hand from the rock face, turn toward the location of thebrush, grasp the brush handle (which may also involve unclipping thecarbineer), and then turning back to the rock face in order to brushaway the chalk. Once this is accomplished, the brush must then bereturned before the climber can grasp the cleaned feature.

Under normal circumstances such a maneuver would not be of a concern.However, while rock climbing, where a climber may be hundreds of feet inthe air and supported only by their hands and feet, the failure toperform this maneuver flawlessly can have dire consequences. Thus, thereexists the need to enable rock climbers to clean rock features while atthe same time maintaining a proper grip upon the rock face.

The background art contains examples of gloves that are especiallyadapted to improve a climber's grip. One such example is U.S. Pat. No.5,079,776 to Crawford, which is entitled “Glove for Rock Climbing.”Crawford discloses a glove that includes a pad formed from a climbingrubber and which is adapted to cover the back and peripheral palmportions of the hand. The construction leaves the finger tips exposed toimprove touch. Although Crawford overcomes some of the problemsassociated with rock climbing, it is not concerned with removing thechalk build up, nor is it directed to a brush that can be employed withminimal body movement.

Finger mounted brushes are also known in the art. Examples of suchbrushes include U.S. Pat. No. 1,168,998 to Brandenburg: U.S. Pat. No.4,679,274 to Friedman; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,167,129 to Sleeper. However,these brushes are specifically designed for cleaning a user's teeth andgums. Consequently, the bristles on these devices are uniquely adaptedto be used within the mouth and are not suitable for use upon a rockface.

Finger mounted tools are also known in the art. Examples of such devicesinclude U.S. Pat. No. 2,380,186 to Mayer; U.S. Pat. No. 2,151,846 toGreneker; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,584,637 to Witter. However, these devicesare tailored for unique applications, such as applying grout or cleaningpots. None of these devices could be effectively employed during a rockclimb.

Finally, it is also known in the art to provide a glove with one or moreabrading units. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,038,787 to Bianchidiscloses an abrasive glove with a number of abrading units. The glovecan be used to abrade potatoes or to abrade paint. Likewise, U.S. Pat.No. 1,559,114 to Maranville discloses a rubber glove with clusters ofprojections that can be used to clean garments. Although thesereferences achieve specific and unique objectives, they are designed tofit over the entire hand of a user. Because the finger tips are covered,these devices are not suitable for rock climbing where dexterity andtouch are of critical importance. Moreover, the abrading nature of thegloves is not suitable for sweeping.

Thus, there continues to be a need in the art for a hand worn implementthat can be used by rock climbers to sweep away chalk build up and/orother debris and which overcomes the aforementioned shortcomings presentin the background art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of this invention to eliminate the need for aclimber to reach for a tool before cleaning a rock feature.

It is another object of this invention to maximize climber safety byallowing a user to effectively and easily clean away chalk build upsoccluding nearby fissures.

It is a further object of this invention to enable a brush to be worn ona user's finger, thereby allowing it to be easily used and convenientlycarried.

It is still another object of this invention to enable a brush to beworn on the hand of a climber, while at the same time keeping the restof the climber's hand free and unencumbered so as to maximize dexterityand touch.

It is also an object of this invention to increase the safety associatedwith the sport of rock climbing by allowing climbers to more effectivelygrip fissures or outcroppings, all the while maximizing the points ofcontact with the face of the rock wall.

The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the more pertinent andimportant features of the present invention in order that the detaileddescription of the invention that follows may be better understood sothat the present contribution to the art can be more fully appreciated.Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter whichform the subject of the claims of the invention. It should beappreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and thespecific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis formodifying or designing other structures for carrying out the samepurposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by thoseskilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart fromthe spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appendedclaims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention,reference should be had to the following detailed description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is view of a user's hand while wearing the implement of thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of a user wearing the implement of thepresent invention.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of a user wearing an alternativeimplement of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a view of a user employing the implement upon a rock climbingfeature.

FIG. 5 is an alternative embodiment of the implement of the presentinvention.

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the alternative embodiment taken along line6-6 of FIG. 5.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention relates to a finger mounted tool that allows rockclimbers to remove accumulated climber's chalk from the areas in andaround rock climbing holds. The finger mount eliminates the need for auser to reach for a belt mounted tool during a climb. The implementincludes a cot with attached bands for securing the cot to a user'sfinger. Steel wool or nylon bristles are secured on top of the cot andcan be used to sweep out chalk accumulations. The various features ofthe present invention, and the manner in which they interrelate, aredescribed in greater detail hereinafter in conjunction with FIGS. 1-6.

FIG. 1 illustrates the implement 20 mounted on the back of a user's hand22. Although the particular embodiment illustrated shows implement 20mounted on a user's pinky finger 24, the present invention can just aseasily be worn on other fingers. Implement 20 is mounted to the back ofthe finger through the use of two straps 26 and 28. Again, however, eventhough implement 20 is shown on the back of the hand, it can also bepositioned on the front of the user's finger, such that cot 32 overliesthe finger tip. In the preferred embodiment, straps 26 and 28 areelastic and stretchable and can be expanded to fit over a wide varietyof finger sizes. Implement 20 can also be made with straps of varyingsizes to accommodate users with varying hand sizes. Additionally, viathe elastic straps 26/28, a single implement 20 can easily fit on anyfinger of the user's hand. Regardless of where or how implement 20 isworn, straps 26/28 should be secure enough to prevent movement when thedevice is in use.

Straps can be, for example, adhesively secured to the underside of cot32. In the preferred embodiment, cot 32 is rectangular in shape and isformed from a lightweight plastic material. The use of other materialsand shapes is, of course, within the scope of the present invention. Asillustrated in FIG. 1, cot 32 is long enough to extend over a majorityof the length of the pinky finger 24. However, shorter cots can also beemployed to ensure that the cot does not span a knuckle. This could alsobe achieved by placing cot 32 on a longer finger, such as the index ormiddle finger, at a position above the knuckle. This placement wouldensure that the finger supporting cot 32 had a full range of motion. Inone embodiment, the bottom surface of cot 32 can be lined with amoisture absorbing fabric. This would have the advantage of absorbingsweat from the surface of the user's finger.

In the embodiment of the invention depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2, cot 32 isused to support a grouping of steel wool 34. Those skilled in the artwill appreciate a wide variety of ways in which steel wool 34 can bemounted to the underlying cot 32. For example, steel wool 34 can befastened with a suitable adhesive or the wool can be embedded into theplastic cot 32.

An alternative embodiment of the present invention is illustrate in FIG.3. In this embodiment, the steel wool 34 is replaced by bristles 36.Here, bristles 36 are mounted to cot 32 by embedding them into thesurface of cot 32. The exact material used for bristles 36 will dependupon the intended application. For example, if implement 20 is for useindoors, such as on an artificial rock wall, bristles 36 can be formedfrom a stiff nylon. Otherwise, for outdoor applications, where implement20 is used on a natural rock wall, bristles 36 will be formed from steelwire or copper. Either way, it is essential that heavy duty bristles areemployed and that they are strong enough to withstand repeated brushingagainst hard surfaces. The bristles can extend upwardly from cot 32anywhere between 1/16″ to ⅛″.

FIG. 4 illustrates implement 20 in use upon a rock climbing feature.Specifically, the implement 20 is mounted via straps 26 and 28 to thepinky FIG. 24 of a user's hand 22. In the depicted use, implement 20 ismounted to the back side of the user's hand 22, thereby allowing theuser to use the entire palm side of the hand as well as the finger tipsto grip the rock surface during a climb. Thereafter, if the userencounters a feature that has been occluded with excessive chalk, he orshe can easily use the back of the finger to brush away the chalk viathe steel wool 34 or bristles 36. This is accomplished by presenting theback of the hand to the occluded fissure and placing the wool 34 orbristles 36 therein. The user then moves their hand back and forth tosweep away the chalk or other debris. The user is then free toimmediately grip the cleaned, un-occluded feature. All of this can beaccomplished without the need to retrieve a belt worn or stored tool orimplement.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate an alternative embodiment of the presentinvention that utilizes a latex finger cot 42 in place of straps 26 and28. This latex sheath completely surrounds the finger 24 and extendsover the finger tip a sufficient amount to prevent unintended removal.Although latex is the preferred material, cot 42 can be formed from anyof a variety of elastic materials. Cot 42 is otherwise generally definedby a rearward opening 48, a closed forward end 46 and an intermediateextent 50 therebetween.

A strip of bristles 44 can be affixed to the top surface of cot 42 suchthat they extend upwardly from the back of the user's finger 24. Thebristles can be adhesively secured or otherwise embedded into cot 42. Asexplained above in connection with the primary embodiment, thesebristles can be used in sweeping away accumulations of climber's chalk,or other unwanted debris, from rock features. In the preferredembodiment, bristles 44 are formed from nylon. However, a grouping ofsteel wool can be used in place of bristles 44. Also, a textured surface(not shown) can alternatively be placed opposite bristles 44 to aid ingiving the wearer a better grip on the rock surfaces. This texturedsurface would ideally be located overtop of the wear's finger tip.

The present disclosure includes that contained in the appended claims,as well as that of the foregoing description. Although this inventionhas been described in its preferred form with a certain degree ofparticularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of thepreferred form has been made only by way of example and that numerouschanges in the details of construction and the combination andarrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention.

Now that the invention has been described,

1. A system for permitting a climber to remove build ups during a rockclimb comprising: a rock face including fissures, outcroppings, andaccumulated chalk within the fissures; a rectangular cot formed from alightweight plastic and having upper and lower surfaces; a pair ofelastic finger straps secured to the lower surface of the cot, thefinger straps positioned over the finger of the climber; steel wooladhesively secured to the upper surface of the cot, wherein the steelwool can be used by a climber to remove the accumulated chalk presentwithin the fissure.
 2. An implement for cleaning debris from a rock facecomprising: a finger cot secured to a user's finger; bristles secured tothe upper surface of the cot, the bristles being strong enough to beutilized in removing debris from the rock face.
 3. The implement asdescribed in claim 2 wherein two finger straps are included to securethe implement along a user's finger.
 4. The implement as described inclaim 2 wherein the cot is an elastic sheath that fits over the user'sfinger tip.
 5. The implement as described in claim 2 wherein theimplement is secured to the back of a user's finger.
 6. The implement asdescribed in claim 2 further including a layer of moisture absorbingfabric secured to the lower surface of the cot.
 7. A method ofpermitting a climber to remove accumulated chalk from an occluded rockfissure during a climb, the method employing a tool including fingerstraps and bristles, the method comprising the following steps: securingthe straps over the finger of the climber such that the bristles of thetool are positioned on the back of the climber's finger, whereby theplacement of the tool leaves the climber's fingers free for subsequentclimbing; positioning the tool over the occluded rock fissure during aclimb such that the bristles of the tool are positioned within the rockfissure; moving the hand in a side to side motion to dislodge theaccumulated chalk from the fissure; grasping the fissure once it is freeof accumulated chalk.
 8. The method as described in claim 7 wherein thebristles are formed from a nylon that is heavy enough to withstandrepeated brushing against rock.
 9. The method as described in claim 7wherein steel wool is used in place of the bristles.
 10. The method asdescribed in claim 7 wherein the tool is worn on the user's pinkyfinger.